Breaking the Boundairy
by Tusk Act IV
Summary: Yotsuba cries over spilled milk.


**Disclaimer: I own neither the series nor the characters. I based this on God Emperor Penguin's Milk which is much better than this and worth checking out.**

* * *

The milk carton hit the floor with a small thud. Immediately, the liquid held within flowed out staining the wooden floor between them.

"Ah." Yotsuba's eyes widened, her body jolting in surprise. "The milk!"

"It's fine, Yotsuba." Fuutarou forced his eyes away from the spreading white back to the woman in front of him. "You don't need to-"

"I have to clean it." Yotsuba moved to the sink, rinsing a nearby cloth with water. It was a thankful coincidence that they were already both in the kitchen. "I wasted the milk. Stupid Yotsuba. Itsuki's going to yell at me later."

"Yotsuba. Is this really needed?"

"It will stain if I don't." With her eyes never leaving the white splotch on the floor, Yotsuba knelt on the ground and began wiping up the mess. Her rag went back and forth, trying to absorb as much of the milk as possible. "Nino was going to make cake with this later. I already knew but I still wanted a glass. Stupid Yotsuba. Stupid, stupid, stupid…"

Fuutarou sighed as he stood back up. His hands closed into fists, cradling the objects they held. "It's just milk, Yotsuba."

"That's not the problem, Uesugi-san!" The girl snapped back, or as close to a rebuke someone like Yotsuba could do. She stood back up and wrung the cloth over the sink. After another rise of water, she was back on her knees, continuing her cleaning. "Just…let me clean this up, okay?"

Fuutarou swallowed down whatever words he wanted to scream as he watched her ribbon bob along with her wiping. A dark pit formed over his stomach and the hairs by the back of his neck stood straight.

His next words were quiet yet clear.

"You could just say no."

The movement stopped.

"Youtsuba," he continued. "If you don't want to then…"

Her head shook back and forth, her ribbon waving around in the air with the motions of her head.

"Should I take that as a no?"

The shaking only got faster, her head practically going left to right and back in a second.

"Then…Yotsuba." His gaze pieced down on her as he stood above. "What is it that you want?"

The woman was silent as she remained knelt, head bowed. The only action he spotted was her hands wringing the rag in her hands tightly, whatever liquid it had absorbed being released back onto the floor that still smelt of milk.

"Hey," Fuutarou placed the box on the kitchen counter before kneeling down next to her. He ignored how wet his knees felt when he did. "Yotsuba. Look at me."

She remained unmoved so he grabbed one of her hands, carefully extracting its tight grip on the rag and placing it into his own gentle one.

"Yotsuba, I'm serious here." He moved his body close to hers, the top of her ribbon tickling his chest. His thumb slowly rubbed the back of her hand he held. "Look up. Please?"

At first, only the trace movement of her ribbon allowing gravity to take a hold of it was all he got. Eventually, Yotsuba did peer back up at him. Her lips wobbled a facsimile of a smile while hollow sunken eyes stared back at him through orange bangs.

"I truly hate you, Uesugi-san."

"That's a lie."

"It might as well be true compared to how the others feel. You already know, don't you? What Ichika would do to be with you…

"…"

"What Miku has undergone and changed for you…"

"…"

"What Nino feels…"

"…"

"Even Itsuki-"

"Yotsuba, I don't care." Fuutarou interrupted the girl with an intense stare that dared to pierce through her own façade. His tone was as solid as the grip he had on her hand. "The person I want is you."

Yotsuba's mouth remained hanging open for a moment before she shut it tight, her jaw tense. Her eyes flickered embers of defiance but reflected more a shine of life.

"I don't care who knew me first. I don't care who fell for me first. I don't care who fought the hardest. I don't care who would love me the most. From the beginning, I've never cared about romance and love so these things don't matter to me."

Fuutarou leaned his face close to Yotsuba's own. She couldn't move back due to his hold on her hand. His face was the most serious she had ever seen him and yet even she could see how much he was pushing himself.

"I don't want someone who would love me. What I want…I just want someone who would stay by my side like you have done all this time." He was only looking at her now, everything else might as well not exist. "Yotsuba, I want you to continue to stay by my side"

His words left her speechless, weightless. Her head felt lightheaded and she felt like she would faint right there.

Yotsuba gasped.

Whether it was her brain forcing her body after it forgot to breathe or that his words possibly just taking her breath away, air sharply entered her lungs once more.

Fuutarou leaned back, giving her space to breathe, but still continuing his words.

"And if possible, allow me to stay by your side too."

They both knelt there in silence; one staring dumbly while the other patiently waiting. The sun pierced through the kitchen window, lighting up the room. It was only then Fuutarou noticed tears, the newly arrived light reflecting against them as they sprawled down Yotsuba's cheeks.

Between them, the milk carton still laid spilled on the floor along with its contents.

"Ichika's loaded, you know?"

"Huh?" Fuutaru blinked, hearing Yotsuba finally speak up after what felt like an eternity.

"She's got that actress thing going on. I've only worked in cleaning."

"I'm not in it for the money."

"Nino's going to start her own bakery. I bet you can get a lot of yummy food from her. I can barely make curry."

"Anything you make is fine."

"Miku's super cute and smart! I'm sure she has the best genes among us."

"I…haven't thought that far ahead yet."

"And Itsuki…um…you know, she…she probably wouldn't mind putting things in her mouth."

"Yotsuba."

"And with how much she eats, _that _is probably stretched out already so…"

"Yotsuba!" Fuutarou's raised voice got Yotsuba to stop her rambling. With a solemn face, Fuutarou said the next words as the fact it was. "I told you all before. I'm done with your lies and games. Yotsuba, didn't we both agree already that you were dumb?"

"…eh?"

"Not just dumb. The dumbest of all the sisters!"

"Th-that's right!" Yotsuba nodded, ignoring the critical hits to her pride. "So…so that means you shouldn't-"

"That just means you should stop with all the thinking." interrupted Fuutarou. "You're not smart enough to start worrying about anyone but yourself right now! All these other things like your sisters' feelings and the future are clearly too much for you so…"

Fuutarou then jabbed a thumb to his chest, his head held high. "…so just leave the thinking to me! I can do it for both of us. Right now, all you need to think about is what you want!"

Yotsuba recoiled at his raised voice. She almost fell backwards, catching herself with two hands flat on the floor behind her. "What I want?"

"Now!" Fuutarou stood back up and withdrew the item he had earlier pocketed. He held it out on his right hand while holding a keyring on the left.

"Did you drop this metal ring that holds flashcards for primary students? Or did you drop this golden engagement ring I spent way five months of my salary on?"

Yotsuba looked up at him, wide-eyed. Her eyes went back and forth between the two. At some points it seemed like she was about to answer but her mouth closed once more. Eventually-

"The right."

She pointed to the old keyring she hadn't realized she dropped earlier. Her answer drew a proud smile from her once tutor as he knelt down on one knee.

"Due to your honestly, I shall give you both."

He held out both items in each hand. Yotsuba took the keyring, pocketing it once more before turning to the velvet box.

A shaky hand reached out to it, as if it could burn her. When it did reach the box, she carefully held it close to her. Her eyes sparkled noticing the small diamond at the center.

"It's the first time I've seen a diamond. It's pretty amazing."

Fuutarou straightened his back as he prepared himself to ask a certain question one last time. While it may seem redundant, Yotsuba wasn't exactly the smartest tool in the shed. Sometimes, he'd need to repeat a question multiple times for her to get it.

And for this one, he'd be willing to repeat it as many times as possible, for as long as they lived.

"Nakano Yotsuba, what is it that you want?"

"Uesugi-san." She brought the ring close to her, cradling it close to her chest. At that moment, Nakano Yotsuba stopped thinking of her sisters, of fairness, of sharing, of guilt. For the first time, she thought about herself.

When? When was the last time she had done such a thing? What was the last thing she had truly wanted for herself?

It could have only been then, when all she wanted to do was relieve her guilt.

All Nakano Yotsuba had wanted was for someone to rely on, who coulf help her and make sure she wouldn't drag down her sisters once more...did she not meet with such a person?

What she had wanted then and what she had wanted now...was there really a difference?

"My first impression of you were that you were 'gloomy' and that 'he probably has no friends'. 'Genius' too." She closed her eyes, as she remembered her memories. To her surprise, it wasn't that hard. "Since then I've added many others. Tutor, Big brother, scare master, dense, insensitive, playboy, friend, partner."

Yotsuba looked up, her eyes warm.

It was perhaps the first time she had finally looked at him. Truly looked at him since the milk spilt.

The tips of Yotsuba's mouth curled up until they reached her cheeks, her first true smile in this whole exchange. "If you're really fine with someone as stupid as me, I will now add "Husband" to that list."

Before Fuutarou could even reply, the velvet box was shoved back into his hands. Yotsuba averted her gaze, cheeks slightly pink, as she held out her left hand.

"Isn't it the job of the proposer to put the ring on? You're and genius and you don't know that."

Fuutarou did so, slipping in the ring across her fourth finger. There was something oddly fitting on how he was putting a ring around the 'Yotsuba' finger.

After he finished, Yotsuba appreciated the ring by holding her hand above her head to see the glint of the diamond. It couldn't compare to the sparkles in her own blue eyes.

"So…this is mine."

"Yeah." Fuutarou nodded. "This makes us even, equals. By the way, it's not like I picked it up the ground, you know? Don't expect that big a wed-"

He was suddenly cut off by Yotsuba pressing her lips against his own. The force nearly toppled him over. When they separated, the blush on Yotsuba's cheeks was much more prominent though the mischievous smile on her face was anything but shy.

"Thank you, Uesugi-san. I..."

Yotsuba glomped, no, tackled the man in an embrace. This time they did both fall down. She nuzzled him, years of holding back her feelings now set free. Fuutarou himself didn't mind, raising a hand to rub her head, his hand combing down her ribbon.

After what felt like too short of an eternity of hugging, giggling, and laughter, Yotsuba extracted herself from Fuutarou, a smile brighter than the sunlight coming through outside.

He returned it with his own, joy coursing through him knowing his feelings had been reciprocated.

"So...what now?"

"Well, I was going to have breakfast before you interrupted me."

"Oh, you were going to cook?"

"Just cereal. Although, it doesn't look like I can have that anymore."

"No more milk?"

"Nope! But there's no use crying over it, right? C'mon, let's go out to eat out instead! I know just the place!"

"Why do you feel used to this? By the way, how do you want to be called from now on? You know, your name and all?"

"My name? It's-"

_'Let's go over there next!'_

_'Hey, slow down! I know we don't have all day but you're moving too fast. I don't even have your name'_

_'My name? It's-'_

"Uesugi Yotsuba!"

* * *

**AN: To fully enjoy this, reread the first chapter of the manga. Wrote this on a whim and for Yotsuba who has a low chance of winning. For the slow, the italicized at the end indicates that it was from the past. And yes, he proposed to her even though they weren't dating.**

**To those wondering, in the end Itsuki was the one who cleaned up the milk. She was also ate Yotsuba's leftover bowl of milk less cereal**


End file.
